The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Armadillo17 (Chicago, Il) on 01/28/2015
★★★★★
For me, one of the most miserable aspects of a cold is the nasal congestion that blocks the taste buds and causes endless nose-blowing. This time, I took a clove of garlic, broke it into small chunks, and put a chunk up into each nostril. Leave it there as long as you can stand it, it will probably prompt you to sneeze eventually, after a few minutes. Do this repeatedly and your congestion will be gone in a day. Also, chew a little garlic all day and keep a peeled glove in your mouth to suck on. This, plus a dose of apple cider vinegar in water 4 times a day, got rid of 90% of my cold symptoms in 24 hrs.
Tomato Tea
Posted by Laura (Dallas, Tx) on 04/01/2013
★★★★★
The Tomato Tea WORKED--Knocked out a cold in under two days. Actually I used a three pronged "tea" combination for a serious head cold I picked up from my 20 month old: 1) ACV tea at meal times/3 x day with 2 Tblsp dosage to each mug and 1 Tblsp Honey. 2) Made a pot of Tomato Tea for the morning and afternoon getting about three mugs out of each. I used Half a bulb of Garlic (cloves smashed) to 20-30 oz V-8, the juice of two lemons, and multiple dashes of cayenne pepper. 3) Lemon, Juiced Ginger and Cayenne Pepper tea ( with honey).
The ACV immediately went to work reducing the swelling in my nasal cavaties allowing me to breath ( and have some hope). The tomato tea helped get the cold a moving. ( suffered through a sinus headache about 20 hours into the remedy period). The lemon/ginger/cayenne pepper tea was a bonus immune system booster.
While you have a cold you cannot smell anything. Also the tomato seems to mask the expected garlic smell. I didn't smell like garlic per the family I was with. And all teas tasted phenomenal to me despite having no ability to smell.
This saved me a $75 co-pay to visit an urgent care doctor, no medicine head, no dry nasal passages from antihistimines. Still drinking the tomato tea and ACV tea on day 5 - just one mug or two a day each as the cold is on its last leg.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne
Posted by Sbc (Nashville, Tn) on 02/08/2011
★★★★★
Hi, I've been sick now for more than a week. i got a bad cold, swollen throat feeling, tons of drainage etc and haven't felt well.
well I tried the Apple Cider Vinegar (couple tbs) , 1/4 tsp cayenne and a couple tbs of honey... I warmed it up and gargled a few times... Then 20 minutes later, I did it again and have felt 10 times better. I have been concerned this past week cause I've had issues swallowing, I guess from the drainage andsore throat... This has responded so quickly. I don't like the taste of Apple Cider Vinegar but I'm doing this anyway... I'm gonna do it a couple more times today. I've also tried sipping a little of it to. I know that has to be beneficial. Thanks so much everyone for sharing this WONDERFUL little natural trick... Thank you thank you!
Fasting
Posted by Julia (Spokane, Wa) on 12/23/2011
★★★★★
Short term fasting is an age old practice in almost every culture throughout history. If you google it, you will see countless studies documenting the therapeutic effects of fasting. Animals naturally fast when they are sick. It has resolved many of my own physical issues, including fighting viruses and germs.
L-Lysine
Posted by Traveler (San Antonio, Tx) on 11/09/2010
★★★★★
I used to love Oil of Oregano and still find it useful, however for cost and effectiveness I would have to say that garlic or lysine are better. Lysine is around $6 a bottle, garlic around 40 cents a bulb. Lysine is better and doesn't stink me up :) Compared to a bottle of Oil of Oregano which the cheapest, most effective form was around $15/bottle, and only worked half the time, lysine is stellar. I take one to two grams at a time several times a day. If I've gotten really sick, I do the 5 grams over 5 hours (1 gram an hour taken with one gram of aspirin to increase blood saturation of lysine) and that's REALLY helped.
I've also recommended it to others and it has helped either a medium amount or a lot. I overloaded my boyfriend with it and he got diarrhea, but we're not sure if that was because of the lysine (he took 25 grams in a day) or because of his sickness which was part early signs of bronchitis and part stomach upset. The good news is that after the diarrhea cleared he's completely better whereas he said before, once bronchitis symptoms started it would last a couple weeks to a couple months. His bronchitis symptoms quit in about a day and a half, and his diarrhea cleared in four days (but that was off and on. )
Sinus Rinse
Posted by Dale (Omaha, Ne) on 01/25/2010
★★★★★
At the first sign of a cold or other URI, using sinus rinse morning and evening, usually prevents it from developing completely. But the few colds that do take me on are pleasantly mild now. After about 4 days of sinus rinsing, I am back to my old self. I use 50/50 mix of plain salt and baking soda, with about 3/4 teaspoon in to 8 oz. rinse bottle of warm 110-degree tap water. Rest of the year, just once rinse Tuesday evenings.
L-Lysine, Aspirin
Posted by Merryanne (Orange City, Florida, USA) on 09/30/2009 113 posts
★★★★★
L-Lysine and aspirin for fighting colds
I am a home health nurse taking car of special needs children for 13 years,,so I know from my health history when they come down with a bad cold with coughing and blowing and sling yellow secretions in my face,,I all ways get sick also,,SO three week ago the little girle I care for (40 hours at night each week for 3 year) came down with a bad cold, temp of 100.2, coughing and put on oxygen 0.5 Liters,,So when I got home I took 1000mg of Lysine and 1000mg aspirin 4 times a day,,and she was sick for 10 days. Now I could feel my sinuses trying to get congested and I felt my throat trying to get sore,,I took this remedy until my patient was over her cold,,And I did not get sick. This was the first time I never got sick caring for some one with fever and congestion with yellow secretions. I am very thank full for Teds information about Lysine and aspirin stopping the replicating of viruses.
Garlic
Posted by Janet (Near Idaho Falls, Idaho) on 05/21/2009
★★★★★
Here is something soothing that really helps colds,
bronchitis, etc:
Bring 2 c. chicken broth + 2 c. water to boiling
Add 1 small onion, chopped
When done, remove from heat, add 3 cloves crushed
garlic, cover; let
sit for about 10 minutes.
Add sea salt to taste.
Hydrogen Peroxide in the Ears
Posted by Tammy (Spartanburg, Sc) on 09/24/2020
You should not have added water to your hydrogen peroxide. I am quite sure that is why you didn't get good results. Best of health to you.
Hydrogen Peroxide in the Ears
Posted by Brad (Ontario) on 09/17/2022
She used 35% H2O2, which can burn you at full strength. She didn't dilute it properly. I often find people misunderstanding the difference between 3% and 35% H2O2.
Oregano Oil
Posted by Nanci (Berwick, PA. USA) on 03/08/2009
★★★★★
I have been using oil of oregano for over a year. I put a drop on my finger and apply it to a tooth that was starting to abcess. I had to put it on about five times a day but in two days the pain was gone and never got as bad as the one that had to be pulled. I would get it in a healthfood store to make sure it is safe for digesting. I'm not sure if essential oils for inhaling are the same. *oreganol* is the brand I have
I start to put a drop on my finger and apply it to the glands under your ear by your neck. One or two drops per side. Then I put a drop on my finger and put it under my arm pit because there are glands there also. I do this about five or more times a day. I have been able to ward off a cold completely when everyone else has it. I didn't have any because I lent it to someone and I went a few days with out using this. I got very sick and was in bed for five days. when I got it back I used it and two days later was up. I think I should have used it longer and I didn't. Now I got it back. I guess because the cold got a start here, now it is going to be hard to get rid of it. Now I made a cup of hot water, 1/2 a large garlic diced, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of ACV and the juice of a Lime. I am loosening up already. Oh and the acv cured the hot flashes I had.
Hydrogen Peroxide Sniffing Method!
Posted by Kym (Niagara, Ontario) on 05/26/2008
★★★★★
I woke up with a horrible head cold this morning and was desperate for relief. I tried the ACV remedy and putting peroxide in my ears and it helped a little bit but then I tried the peroxide sniffing method! WOW it is AMAZING! It burned a bit when it hit the irritated areas and my eyes watered like crazy but I had INSTANT relief! My stuffed up nose was immediately gone and I could breath normally again and the awful itchyness in my nose and ear passageways was almost gone! I will definitely recommend this to anyone being tortured by cold symptoms!!
Turmeric
Posted by Shireen (Khartoum, Sudan) on 12/13/2007
★★★★★
I am a true believer that every illness has a cure in nature without being tampered with, but I have never heard of turmeric to cure coughs and sinuses.Since I found your website by sheer coincidence, while searching for a natural remedy for my wheezing cough and river-running nose, I thought I'd give turmeric a try( 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp honey with 1 cup of warm milk)VIOLA! I could breathe again. Thank You So Much EC, you're a life saver.
Garlic and Cayenne
Posted by Shannon (Moncton, Canada) on 05/28/2007
★★★★★
When I feel a cold coming on, I usually take the following: 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice. I recommend taking it like a shot, and chasing it with water. You should feel it working within a minute.
Another thing I do to stop colds is eat raw garlic. But it's difficult on the stomach, so I'll often toast a piece of bread, butter it, and slice some garlic. I lay the garlic on half of the bread, fold it over, and eat it. It tastes like intense garlic bread.
Hydrogen Peroxide in the Ears
Posted by Rodney J (Kaysville, Utah) on 03/12/2007
★★★★★
This is something I saw on another site. Warm up a tsp of Hydrogen peroxide under some hot water, put in your ear at the first onset of a cold, stuffy ears, or sore throat. Let this stuff stay in your ears for about 10 - 15 minutes and it really has a good effect at killing the ear ache, sore throat and the sniffles. We do this in our family and have very good success with this.
Turmeric
Posted by Anj (UK) on 10/06/2006
★★★★★
Mum always used this when the cough/cold would not go away. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt with 1 teaspoon of turmeric and couple of drops of water to make this into paste. Wrap cotton wool around your finger or toothbrush and put the paste on the cottonwool and try and paint the inside of your throat as deep down the throat as possible.
Mouthwash
Posted by Tony (Miami, FL) on 02/15/2006
★★★★★
The next time that you feel as if you are coming down with a cold, gargle Scope or Listerine, diluted with a little water, for one minute when you wake up in the morning. It can prevent you from even coming down with the cold, and will entirely prevent you from having a soar throat if you do catch the cold. These mouthwashes will kill all of the viruses in your throat, before they can cause any havoc.
Gargling With H2O2
Posted by Donna (Aspen, CO)
★★★★★
I gargled with a capful of hydrogen peroxide mixed into 1/4 cup of water and also swished it around my mouth and the next morning my cold was gone.
